This album was originally going to have been called "Partners In Crime" at first, but the band's twelfth Studio Album's title was then changed to "Rogues Gallery". It reached Number 60 in the UK Album Charts.

Having decided to take a break from touring, Slade's penultimate studio album (discounting Crackers), Rogues Gallery, would be the first as a studio-only band. Following the smash hits "My Oh My" and "Run Runaway", which also gave Slade their long-awaited American breakthrough, it's unsurprising that Rogues Gallery presented particularly commercial material, leaning more towards pop-rock. Not only did John Punter return to produce the majority of the album, it also saw Slade adopting synthesisers as a dominant instrument. As such, this is an album that presents a highly polished Slade, with Noddy Holder and Jim Lea attempting to write an album's worth of material that all had single potential.

The band wear a 1980s, synthesiser-led sound and glossy production very well, though the songs themselves are typical Slade regardless. "Hey Ho Wish You Well" recalls the energy of "Run Runaway" and opens the album in a notably jaunty mood. Songs like "Little Sheila", "Myzsterious Mizster Jones" and "I'll Be There" are all enthusiastic, spirited anthems with strong hooks, memorable lyrics and stirring choruses. Of the slower tracks, "Harmony" is a nice song of its ilk; more profound and earnest in its nature, but not without retaining an irresistible hook. As with other songs on the album, including "Walking on Water, Running on Alcohol" and "I Win, You Lose", the song's lyrics suggest an autobiographical account on Holder's part, who had been through a divorce in 1984. Equally, "7 Year Bitch" features some rather attentive lyrics, alongside another catchy refrain.

Tim Turan has done an excellent job of remastering the album for the 2007 Salvo re-issue, which includes nine bonus tracks. Of them, "Leave Them Girls Alone" is another lively number with a killer chorus, and Holder and Lea exchanging lines in the verses. "Do You Believe in Miracles", which was released as a charity single later in 1985, bears many similarities to the material on Rogues Gallery as an infectious, radio friendly number. Complete with another singalong, anthemic chorus, the song was inspired by Bob Geldof and Live Aid.

Whether Rogues Gallery can be considered to rank alongside the band's 1970s classics such as Slayed? and Slade in Flame is arguable. However, as an album of its time, it stands as a strong effort in the Slade canon; ten numbers with an emphasis on catchy hooks and singalong choruses. Holder's vocals too, as ever, are on top form, albeit perhaps smoother and more polished than before. One of the band's biggest advantages is that all of their albums are so obviously Slade, yet they each have their own identity; a slightly different variation of the Slade sound with Rogues Gallery being no exception.( Review courtesy of A.J. Smith )

To see the band performing Hey Ho Wish You Well on BBC's Saturday Superstore, in 1985, click on this link here.

My thanks to Chris 'The Historian' Selby for his relentless research. It is said, in certain circles, that Walsall Archives have a seat reserved specifically for him and that Wolverhampton archives consult him when searching the Express & Star.

Hey Ho Wish You Well(Noddy Holder & James Lea)Hey ho wish you well.Hey ho wish you wellHey ho wish you well,Everybody wanna yellHigh fly touch the sky,Over the moonHere there and everywhere,Any grumble goin' spare?High fly touch the sky,Over the moon,Over the moonMad dogs and EnglishmenGoing out in the mid-day sunCome on and join the fun,Do you know what I mean?Are you a ladies man?Gypsies kiss in a caravanDrinking the black and tan,Do you know what I mean?Hey ho wish you well,Everybody wanna yellHigh fly touch the sky,Over the moonHere there and everywhere,Any grumble going spare?High fly touch the sky,Over the moon,Over the moonTurn on your Dictaphone,Take your secretary homeBreak down in a parking zone,Do you know what I mean?Riff raff, I need a bath,Try and look good on a photographI'm on a crazy path,Do you know what I mean?Hey ho wish you well,Everybody wanna yellHigh fly touch the sky,Over the moonHere there and everywhere,Any grumble going spare?High fly touch the sky,Over the moon,Over the moonMad dogs and Englishmen,Going out in the mid-day sunToo hot to jump the gun,Do you know what I mean?Are you a ladies man?Gypsies kiss in a caravanDrinking the black and tan,Do you know what I mean?Hey ho wish you well,Everybody wanna yellHigh fly touch the sky,Over the moonHere there and everywhere,Any grumble going' spare?High fly touch the sky,Over the moon,Over the moonHere there and everywhere,Any grumble going spare?I fly nice and high,Over the moonHey ho wish you wellHey ho wish you wellHey ho wish you wellHey ho wish you well

Harmony(Noddy Holder & James Lea)Harmony in my lifeThere ain't nothing in this great big worldYou care aboutThere ain't nothing in this worldThat I can't do without.Oh it's gotta be meOh it's gotta be meI can change youRearrange you wait and seeI believe in everything you say and doIs there anything you say that may be trueNo more second chance your choice is overdueOh it's gotta be meOh it's gotta be meI can change youRearrange youWait and seeHarmony in my lifeThere ain't nothing in this great big worldYou care aboutThere ain't nothing in this worldThat I can't do without.The attention you receive goes to your headYou'd be better off believing me insteadIf you leave me is it something that I saidOh it's gotta be meOh it's gotta be meI can change youRearrange youWait and seeHarmony in my lifeThere ain't nothing in this great big worldYou care aboutThere ain't nothing in this world

Walking On Water, Running On Alcohol(Noddy Holder & James Lea)Well I bin walkin' on waterI walk the waterI bin walkin' on waterI feel the beatI bin running on alcoholOh now I'm rolling on homeNow I'm rolling on home againYeh I'm rolling on home againRolling, rolling alongI don't ever wanna go without itYou're bringing me to lifeGonna show you the funny side todayHey hey hey heyYou gimme somethingThere's no doubt about itTo get me through the nightKeep on laughing when you see me walk this wayHey hey hey heyWell I bin walkin' on waterI walk the waterI bin walkin' on waterI feel the beatI bin running on alcoholOh now I'm rolling on homeNow I'm rolling on home againYeh I'm rolling on home againRolling, rolling alongIs it time to go and face the musicI wanna stay in bedPardon me if I seem a little slowOh oh oh ohToo much of everythingThe night beforeYou know I'm easily ledAre my feet on the floor well I don't knowOh oh oh ohWell I bin walkin' on waterI walk the waterI bin walkin' on waterI feel the beatI bin running on alcoholOh now I'm rolling on homeNow I'm rolling on home againYeh I'm rolling on home againRolling, rolling alongWell I bin walkin' on waterI walk the waterI bin walkin' on waterI feel the beatI bin running on alcoholI need a hair of the dogNow I'm rolling on home againYeh I'm rolling on home againRolling, rolling along

I'll Be There(Noddy Holder & James Lea)If you say you need meThen I'll be thereIf you say you feel meThen I'll be thereIf you say you want meThen I'll be thereIf you say that you wanna love meI'll be thereJust another dayAnd you wanna break awayDon't do anything I wouldn't doOh ohHere we go againAre you chasing after menAnd playing hard to get when they chase youIf you say you need meThen I'll be thereIf you say you feel meThen I'll be thereIf you say you want meThen I'll be thereIf you say that you wanna love meI'll be thereStaring at the wallsOnly waiting for your callsYou sweet talker you there on the phoneOh ohAnother pack of liesYou're a devil in disguiseYou ain't spending all your nights aloneIf you say you need meThen I'll be thereIf you say you feel meThen I'll be thereIf you say you want meThen I'll be thereIf you say that you wanna love meI'll be thereThe liberties you takeThe excuses that you makeThere's something in your eyes that don't ring trueOh ohYour abilityHeads to infidelityWhile I'm saving myself just for youJust for you, just for youJust for you, just for youIf you say you need meThen I'll be thereIf you say you feel meThen I'll be thereIf you say you want meThen I'll be thereIf you say that you wanna love meI'll be there

I Win, You Lose(Noddy Holder & James Lea)You can tryTaking me out of my home townYou can't take my home town out of meOh oh oh I win you loseYou can makeYou can make fun of my backgroundWhen there's nobody else aroundOh oh oh I win you loseI win you loseWe all walk the narrow lineAnd all get the seven year itchWe all think we're doing fineMiles apartIt's getting harder to take the strainI'm only human and I feel the painOh oh oh I win you loseShame on meInfidelity on the brainToo many promise I'll go down the drainI win you loseI win you loseHey there ain'tAin't no place like my home you seeNobody's gonna make a monkey o' meOh oh oh I win you loseI win you loseI win you lose

Welcome

There is nothing new on this blog, everything here has been previously available elsewhere, in one format or another. My aim here is to try to ensure that the information is available to all Slade fans everywhere.

My thanks to Chris Selby (without whom I would know nothing)and anybody else that has supplied anything personal to this or any other media collection. I must apologise to Chris Charlesworth for taking liberty's with his book. Anybody who is interested in the group's history should invest in a copy of 'Feel The Noize', generally considered to be The Slade Bible by most fans. And last but by no means least,Keith Farley ('N Between Times) and John R. Woodhouse (Brum Beat) who have provided much background information by way of their on-line research, These should be studied by anybody with any interest in the 60's Midland Beat era. More general 60's info can be found at Marmalade Skies, a source of invaluable pop essentials.

Any offer of missing artwork would be gratefully received. My main concern is to get 'readable text' for the trainspotters.

Contributors

Official Media

All of Slade's official releases have been remastered and released on CD with good quality packaging and comprehensive sleeve notes by Salvo for Union Square. I would recommend the purchase of this collection to anybody who is interested in the group. This blog will not be making any official music available for download.

Images are for review or research purposes only. All images, audio, video, text, etc. is copyright. Apart from fair dealing for the purposes of private study, research, criticism or review as permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, no part may be reproduced, copied, transmitted in any form without the prior written permission of the copyright holder.

The Historian

I would like to take this opportunity to thank Chris Selby for his input. This site owes much, if not all, to his relentless research and charitable nature. Keep up the good work mate.

Slade Fans

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Subject: From Roots To Boots

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No part of this work should be reproduced or used without the express permission of the author or his associates. Failure to comply may result in legal action. This blog copyright of Michael Parker and associated sources.